Archive for June, 2008

Volunteering at Work

June 27, 2008

I just gave a speech two days ago about trends in philanthropy, and one of the trends I mentioned was what I called “the Activist Philanthropists,” those people who bring together their personal passions, their philanthropy, their work, their social and business networks, their consumer habits, everything about their life to try to make the world a better place. 

If you don’t work in the nonprofit industry, though, it can sometimes seem difficult to get philanthropy into your work.  But here’s an article from ABC news that talks about how you can convince your employer to start an employee-volunteer program so that you can “give back on the company’s clock.”

As with an employee matching gift program, the trick is to help the business understand how it is in their own best interests.  Beyond employee satisfaction and retention (not minor advantages) businesses can be thoughtful and strategic in how they offer employee time. 

Strategic Corporate Philanthropy

A growing company can use employee volunteer time in the community to attract attention from potential clients, establish its expertise and brand itself as a good corporate citizen.  Most also agree that volunteering helps develop leadership skills, skills that transfer to make volunteers better employees. 

  • If you work for a company that has expertise in technology, perhaps you could offer IT assistance to a small nonprofit. 
  • If you are an accounting firm, maybe the company could help a nonprofit tighten up their bookkeeping or assist them with donation collection practices to improve cash flow. 
  • If you are in the marketing business, perhaps your company could offer some pro-bono consulting or design assistance. 

The ABC article mentions that “At Ernst & Young, for example, its Corporate Responsibility Fellows Program sends manager-level employees on three-month, full time assignments to work one-on-one with entrepreneurs in under-served markets in South America.”

How To

For a step by step guide on how to implement an employee volunteer program, see this 8-step guide from the Points of Light Foundation.  If you like more steps, try this 10-step guide from the National Service Resources site. 

Anyone have experience implementing such a program?  Lessons learned would be welcome.

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Posted in Giving Time | Leave a Comment »

How to Encourage Your Socially- Conscious Teenager

June 25, 2008

A few months ago, a set of twins I know turned 18.  Their philanthropic impulses had been stirred last year when they saw the documentary Invisible Children.  Invisible Children was produced by a trio of young film makers who went to Uganda and discovered the children who undertook a nightly commute away from their villages to avoid being recruited as child soldiers in the 20-year-old war.  

After seeing the movie, the twins wanted to go to Uganda to start building schools for these kids. In addition to the education of children in Africa, one of the twins was interested in the environment, as many teenagers are. 

I met with them to talk about their plans and ambitions during the winter.  We talked about how to start their development as informed, activist philanthropists who can really make a difference on the issues they care about.

So for their 18th birthday, I got them each a book with the intention to encourage their ambitions. (Both books are available on Amazon or at a book store near you.)

“Three Cups of Tea”

I read the first couple of chapters of “Three Cups” on the train in to meet the twins, and was compelled to buy a copy for myself, too.  I just finished it a week ago, and I’m pretty happy with the choice. 

“Three Cups of Tea” tells the story of Greg Mortenson, an American mountain climber who, after a failed attempt at K-2, was nursed back to health by a village at the edge of Pakistan civilization. He promises the village leaders he will build a school for the children who currently do their lessons out in the cold, using sticks to draw in the dirt.  From that one school is born the Central Asia Institute and 40 more schools across rural Pakistan and into Afghanistan. 

“Three Cups of Tea” sneaks up on you by disguising itself as an adventure book.  Mortenson’s efforts to negotiate foreign cultures and his mis-steps (getting himself kidnapped, getting his supplies hijacked by a local slimeball) are gripping.  Although setting Mortenson up as a little too perfect–his big flaw is wanting to cuddle up with his family when he’s at home with them–it demonstrates the value of providing girls’ education without feeling like a sermon.  (Okay, maybe it gets a little preachy in the last few chapters, but by then you’re hooked and don’t mind too much.)

“Worldchanging”

“Worldchanging” is both a book and an “online Magazine.”  The premise is to give us all many ways to actually bring about the world we want.  It focuses a lot on the stuff in our lives–raising our awareness of where it comes from and where it’s going after we’re done with it.  Our homes, our stuff, our communities, our businesses and our planet. 

“The Whole Earth Catalog retooled for the iPod generation … [Their book] is a compendium of everything a younger generation of environmental activists has to offer: creativity, digital dexterity, networking ability, an Internet-era optimism about the future, and a deep concern about not only green issues but related questions of human rights, poverty, and social justice.”
– Bill McKibben
New York Review of Books

 My only warning, if you get “Worldchanging” for your teenager, is that you might start to get some suggestions from your kid about changing your own world. 

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Posted in Involving the Next Generation | 1 Comment »

The Source of Happiness

June 18, 2008

I got this tidbit from a recent newsletter from BigThink:

University of Virginia psychology professor and author of The Happiness Hypothesis, Jonathan Haidt, says the easiest way to live a happy life is to get your relationships right- between yourself and others, yourself and work, and yourself and something larger than yourself. Intensive research into ancient and modern psychology and philosophy, he says, had led him to one conclusion: “Work in pursuit of a noble end in a way that uses your strengths.”  

Now I know why I love my job so much. 

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Posted in Lifestyle | 2 Comments »

“Cashback Bonus” for Charity

June 17, 2008

Personally, my Discover card cashback bonus never seemed worth the effort.  It would take me a whole year of charging junk to earn like $12.  They won’t even send you a check for less than $20. 

But, if you actually charge enough to earn a few bucks, Discover lets you donate them to charity through the Cashback Bonus Charitable Partnerships.  Best part: Discover Card adds 20% to cardmember contributions. 

You can designate only one of three charities (charities which I believe Discover also supports through direct grants and contributions of employee volunteer time).

Now if they partner with someone like Network for Good to let you designate your charitable donation for any nonprofit, that would be extra powerful. 

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Posted in Giving Money | 2 Comments »

“Power of Parents”

June 16, 2008

A story from the July 2008 issue of Parents magazine:

“Janice Ross was scared when she found out her 9-year-old daughter, Adrienne, would need heart-transplant surgery.  But the six-month wait for a heart–with much of that time spent in the hospital–turned out to be the biggest challenge for the Ross family.  To keep herself occupied, Adrienne decided to reaise money from her hospital room to support the National Kidney Foundation’s U.S. Transplant Games, an Olympics-like event for transplant patients.  She had a lemonade stand in the hospital hallway and gave manicures from her bed, raising nearly $600.  But she wanted to do more.  At the same time, several Wal-Mart stores in the Birmingham, Alabama, area heard her story and offered to help–and ultimately Adrienne raised nearly $31,000.  Their daughter’s generous spirit inspired Janice and her husband, Adrian, to start their own organization, the Children’s Care-A-Lot Foundation, to help families who are going througha  similar struggle.  “We want so desperately to get the word out about being an organ donor,” says Janice.  “Giving someone life–that’s the ultimate gift.”  Adrienne’s heart transplant was a success, and she’ll compete this month at the transplant games in Pittsburgh.  For more information, go to transplantgames.org.”

“Parents donated $500 to the Transplant Games in Adrienne’s name.  To nominate your organization or community service project for Power of Parents and be considered for a donation, e-mail us at advocacy@parentsmag.com.”

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Posted in Inspirational Kids | Leave a Comment »

How Does Your Garden Grow?

June 11, 2008

Here’s a great idea from an article in the Baltimore Sun*:  Do you have a garden?  Too many tomatoes to possibly eat?  Extra zucchini?  I’ve had generous neighbors offer me extra tomatoes many times.  Have you ever considered donating some portion of your bounty to the local food pantry?  They probably need it more than your friends.

The Sun article mentions two other programs that encourage people to use personal gardens to generate fresh produce, which is often in short supply at food pantries: Plant a Row for the Hungry and Grow-A-Row.

Plant a Row for the Hungry

The Plant a Row (PAR) program was first started in Anchorage, Alaska by a man who writes about gardens named Jeff Lowenfels.  He began encouraging readers to plant an extra row in their garden and donate the produce to a local soup kitchen.  Through a partnership with Garden Writers Association (Lowenfels was a previous president of the organization), it’s grown to where volunteers donate 10 million pounds of produce each year.

“PAR’s role is to provide focus, direction and support to volunteer committees who execute the programs at the local level. We help gather the human resources necessary to form a nucleus for a local committee. Then we provide training and direction to enable the committee to reach out into the community. Finally, we assist in coordinating the local food collection systems and monitor the volume of donations being conveyed to the soup kitchens and food banks.”

The PAR concept was adapted in Canada as Plant a Row – Grow a Row.  Their web site includes a great section on how to involve kids in your gardening project.  Just click on “Looking for Some Fun Stuff” to find good articles for any beginning gardener.  I love the idea of gardening with my kids and then taking them on a trip to donate some of the produce together.

Grow a Row

There is a similar organization in Pittstown, NJ called “Grow a Row” that enlists the community in gardening a quarter-acre and then gleaning a local orchard for extra produce that was missed by commercial processing but can still be donated if it’s just collected by hand.

Makes me wonder what other areas in my life are producing a little extra that I could share with someone else.

*Thanks to On Philanthropy “Buzz” for the link to the Baltimore Sun article.

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Posted in Giving Things, Giving Time, Involving the Next Generation, Lifestyle | 4 Comments »

Philanthropic Father’s Day Gifts

June 8, 2008

Lots of people had searched for “charity + mom” to find my earlier post on Philanthropic Mother’s Day gifts, so here are some ideas for those of you searching for “charity + dad.”

Buying (Green or Organic) Stuff

You can find lots of sites online that sell organic, fair trade or otherwise socially responsible gifts.  If Dad really, truly wants a tie or shirt (doubtful, but I acknowledge it’s possible), try Rawganique.com.  For extra cool personalized letterhead order “Environmentally Responsible Office Supplies” from Blue Dolphin.  Instead of listing all the other sites out there, let me point you to this truly comprehensive gift giving guide. 

It’s true you can get paper cheaper, you can get shirts for less.  But remember to buy quality products, not junk that will need to be replaced, and buy local for the most sustainable and responsible gift-giving. 

The Gift of Giving

Lots of Dads are handy around the house, so a house-related gift makes sense.  How about buying Dad a kitchen sink?  Not for his house, but for someone at Habitat for Humanity?  You can donate online and Habitat provides these examples:

$10 = Box of Nails
$35 = Roof Shingles
$50 = Low Flow Toilet
$75 = Window
$100 = Kitchen Sink
$150 = Front Door
$500 = Siding
$1000 = Wallboard
$2000 = Flooring

Got another kind of charity and want to know if they offer some giving option?  Check out JustGive.org for a searchable database.

Honor Dad

My own father has been deeply involved with charities that serve low-income and homeless families and individuals.  I think I’d like to do something with my family for father’s day that shows his influence and that would make him proud. 

There is a local charity where I live (Fairfield, CT) called Operation Hope: “Helping those who are homeless, hungry or at-risk to achieve self-reliance and stability.”  They publish a “wish list” on their web site of the things they really need at any given time.  Right now, they need forks, cold cereal and bathroom accessories. And they always need shampoo and other toiletries. 

So for Father’s Day, I’m taking my kids shopping for things that Operation Hope needs.  Then we’re going to go deliver them and talk with the folks who run Operation Hope.  I’ll take pictures of them along the way, since my Dad lives in Ohio and we won’t be together. 

When we get back from visiting the food pantry/shelter, I’ll post the pictures on Ofoto, put captions that talk about how Dad inspired us to have compassion and help others, and send the album to my dad on Father’s Day.  If I get this together soon enough, I could even order one of the pictures and send it to him framed. I bet that picture will get a special place.

Does your dad care about animals, about your hometown, about his faith?  Perhaps he taught you something special when you were growing up–how to cook, how to fix your car, how to ride your bike or take care of your dog. 

Can you find some expression of what your dad taught you?  Some way to “pay it forward”?  Or just to thank your dad for teaching you?  I think showing our parents how they have influenced us to be good people is the best expression of gratitude and will bring them the greatest joy.  Hallmark can’t match that.

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Posted in Gift of Giving, Giving Money, Giving Things, Giving Time | 12 Comments »

Employer-Matching Gifts

June 5, 2008

Does your Employer Match Gifts Already?

If you are giving to charity, and haven’t asked your employer if they match contributions, you may be leaving money for your favorite causes on the table.  Online lists of employers are often provided by individuals charities in different locales and ways to check employers who match gifts would be very welcome.  Please email me or add them as a comment.   

Be aware that your employer might have restrictions on how and when they match gifts. The company probably has some written guidelines, but here are a few tips to take advantage of their generosity:

  1. Don’t wait. There might be a deadline on how long after your gift you can ask for a match.
  2. Charity Check. Most employers have restrictions on the kinds of charities to which they will provide matching gifts.  Community organizations and educational institutions are usually okay, religious or political organizations are not.
  3. Friends with Benefits? Most employers do not allow matching gifts that benefit the employee.  For example, you wouldn’t want to submit a gift you made and expect the match to get you from the $100 “friend” level to the $200 “supporter” level so you can get those free tickets to a taping of “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me.” 
  4. Order Up.  Most employers have a limit to the dollar amount they will match for each employee.  You may want to be careful in the order you submit gifts to be matched, to make sure the ones you care about most get matched before you reach your limit.

No Matching Gifts Program? Try This

According to a 2006 article published by the Philanthropy Journal,

“Large corporations are competing more intensely than ever for top talent, and one of the questions that employees are beginning to ask is, ‘What is the company’s commitment to the communities it serves?’” he says. “It’s becoming a real competitive advantage in employee attraction and retention to have a robust community impact program.”

Clearly, an employee matching program can be a valuable employee benefit.  So why not ask your employer–of any size–if they would consider starting one.  Some help to get you and them thinking about it:

  1. The most basic requirement is generally that employee gifts to be matched must be made to 501(c)(3) public charities.  (You can check this through the online version of IRS publication 78. )
  2. You may want to suggest a minimum gift size (often $25) and maximum matching total (which often ranges from $100 to over $1000 for senior employees) so the company knows up front what their total commitment could be.
  3. Companies often feel more comfortable eliminating religious organizations to avoid controversy.
  4. Employees may need to be with the company for a certain amount of time (a month? a year?) before this benefit kicks in.
  5. Need a form and a process?  Try this form from HR.BLR
  6. For more on the legal and administrative requirements, you may want to review this page from the Council on Foundations.
  7. For more on companies working with matching programs check out this article from The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Finding your Employer

  • National, searchable database of employers from HEP Development Services
  • Link to a PDF of a bunch of companies that have a matching gift program provided by the Multiple Sclerosis Society
  • Others resources or tips for getting a program starting in your workplace?

 

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Posted in Giving Money | Leave a Comment »

Grace

June 3, 2008

I’ve written previously about the 29-Day Giving Challenge, which I’m currently participating in. 

Sunday at Stew Leonard’s (grocery store) I ran into my first gift “rejection.”  My little family had a receipt for over $100 from the store, and you can use it to get a free ice cream out front.  I tried to give it to another woman who was standing in line for ice cream, holding a toddler on her hip.  She was so uncomfortable and suspicious of me.  

I don’t think she’s alone in having this reaction.  Too many charities are sending us “free” return address labels, trying to guilt us into donating.  I work for a company that administers private foundations and we handle their mail.  We recently got about two dozen appeals from a veteran’s charity, unsolicited, that included an actual $1 bill.  The attached letter said ”you can keep it but we really hope you’ll send us money instead.” 

If I walk into a store, and someone asks “Can I help you?” my immediate reaction is “no, thanks” because I’m worried that accepting their help will obligate me to buy something. 

Through all of these “gifts with strings” we’ve become bad at accepting things, not just from marketers but from each other.  And while I have participated in the 29-Day Giving Challenge, I’ve realized that when my gifts are offered, it’s with a great sense of hope and a desire to help and no expectation of receiving anything in return. Having that woman reject my receipt/ice cream actually hurt my feelings, if you can believe that. 

So I’m resolving to try to accept the gifts of others with grace (including their offers to help).  Realizing how offering a gift is like offering yourself, accepting a gift is like accepting the person who offered it. 

The next time a friend offers to babysit my kids for an afternoon, I’m going to take them up on it.  And the next time the guy in the wine shop asks if he can help, I’m going to admit that I like sweet, fruity white wine and see if he can come up with something new. 

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Posted in Lifestyle | 1 Comment »

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